Gruters tells groups to back off

Sarasota Republican Party leaders have a message for the outside conservative groups trying to target locally elected Republicans: “Keep out.”

Sarasota Republican Party chairman Joe Gruters said groups, even if they claim to be conservative, have no right in coming into “our house and picking on our Republicans.”

Gruters’ comments came days after U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan, R-Longboat Key, and state Sen. Nancy Detert, R-Venice, found themselves in the crosshairs of conservative groups based in Virginia.

The Tea Party Leadership Fund has begun a public campaign to recruit an opponent to Buchanan because he voted to end the government shutdown last month.

And the Americans For Prosperity group is running television commercials and sending mailers declaring Detert “failed our children” by voting against a bill to turn some public schools over to for-profit charter school companies.

“They are making a mistake by coming into Sarasota County,” Gruters said of both groups.

Gruters said if local Republicans have issues with how the people they help elect voted, they will talk to them, not some out-of-county group.

The chairman made his comments at the Sarasota Republican Executive Committee meeting on Thursday night. Moments later the group voted for a resolution declaring their support for Detert and Buchanan.

Gruters said he’s growing weary of Republicans attacking other Republicans. He said Tea Party Republicans and moderate Republicans cannot be more worried about fighting one another than taking on their real foes: Democrats.

“We cannot have a purity test within our party,” Gruters said. “We need to have a big tent party.”

Long-distance assist

If newly elected Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe sends thank you notes to those who helped him win his race earlier this month, a handful of them might end up in Sarasota.

That’s because Sarasota County Democrats, with no local races to worry about this month, spent the final two weeks before the Virginia election calling voters in that state to urge them to vote for McAuliffe, a Democrat who narrowly won over Republican Ken Cuccinelli.

In the final week, Sarasota Democrats averaged nearly 500 calls a day into Virginia, tracking down likely voters and encouraging them to cast their ballots.

And it was not the only race outside the area in which local Democrats offered their help.

Party volunteers also made hundreds of calls to voters in the St. Petersburg mayoral race. Democrat Rick Kriseman won that race over incumbent Bill Foster, a Republican.

Sarasota Democratic Party chairwoman Rita Ferrandino said it is a source of pride for local party activists to be able to help Democrats win in other places, given they have limited success in Sarasota because Sarasota County’s Republican tilt. Many of the activists cannot cut big checks to help other campaigns, so this is their way of chipping in, she said.

“This is how we can keep Sarasota County relevant, by contributing our resources to other places that need our help,” Ferrandino said.

Sarasota County Democrats have built a reputation with state party leaders of being well organized when it comes to phone banking, get-out-the-vote programs and registering new voters.

Ferrandino said the out-of-state effort is also a nod to the Obama for America campaign in 2008, which created the technological infrastructure that allows for Democrats more than 1,000 miles away to chase down absentee ballots with up-to-date voter outreach lists.

A belated stand

The Florida House voted earlier this month against a bill to repeal Florida’s Stand Your Ground Law in the wake of the Trayvon Martin case.

Still, that did not stop the Sarasota County Republicans from putting themselves on the record in staunchly opposing any attempt to repeal that law, however unlikely that is.

The Sarasota Republican Executive Committee voted without opposition on Thursday for a resolution supporting the Stand Your Ground Law and opposing any attempt to repeal the law.

The state House Criminal Justice Subcommittee voted 9-2 on Nov. 7 against a bill that could have repealed the law. State Rep. Ray Pilon, R-Sarasota, was among those who voted against the repeal.

“It’s completely safe,” Pilon said of the law that allows someone to use deadly force if they feel their life is being threatened.

Pilon, who is also a member of the Sarasota Republican Executive Committee, said while repeal is out of the question, he is still open-minded to the potential of tightening up the law if it can help prosecutors and law enforcement interpret the law better.

Area political events

Monday

• The Manatee County NAACP holds an information session about the Affordable Care Act starting at 6:45 p.m. at the 13th Avenue Community Center, 922 24th Street E., Bradenton.

• Elizabeth Fisher and Kindsey Neeson speak to the Anna Maria Island Democratic Club about human trafficking starting at noon at the Mannatees Sports Grill, 7423 Manatee Avenue W., Bradenton. Reservations not required. Lunch is $15 for members and $17 for guests. For information, call William McGrath at 761-4017.

Tuesday

• Tom Trento, director of The United West, speaks about Islam in America to the Nokomis Osprey Venice Area Republican Club staring at 6:15 p.m. at the Nokomis Community Center, 234 Nippino Tr., Nokomis. Free. call 408-7423 for more information.

• Candidate for the state legislature Greg Para, a Democrat, speaks to the North Port Democratic Club starting at 7 p.m. at the Morgan Family Community Center, 6207 West Price Blvd., North Port. For more information call 275-9195.

• Sarasota Tiger Bay holds a discussion about homelessness with Robert Marbut Jr. The meeting begins at 11:30 a.m. at Michael’s on East, 1212 East Ave., Sarasota.

Wednesday

• Former U.S. Rep. Tom Feeney, a Republican who is now the CEO of Associated Industries of Florida, speaks about what to expect during the 2014 legislative session to the Sarasota and Manatee Manufacturers Association. The meeting begins at 5:15 p.m. at the Lakewood Ranch Holiday Inn, 6231 Lake Osprey Dr., Sarasota.

Thursday

• Manatee County commissioner Michael Gallen speaks to the Manatee Democratic Club starting at 11:30 a.m. at the Peridia Golf and Country Club, 4950 Peridia Blvd., Bradenton. The luncheon cost is $15. To attend call Paul Dain at 941-756-4050.

• State Sen. Nancy Detert and Reps. Doug Holder and Greg Steube speak to the Sarasota Republican Club about what to expect from the Florida Legislature in 2014. The meeting begins at 6 p.m. at Marina Jack Restaurant, 2 Marina Plaza, Sarasota. Cost is $30 for members and $35 for non-members. For more information visit www.SarasotaRepublicanClub.com.

Jeremy Wallace

Jeremy Wallace has covered politics for more than 15 years.
He can be reached by email or call (941) 361-4966.
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Last modified: November 17, 2013
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